


Thursday: Turquoise Taupe

by shaniacbergara



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 20:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14269275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaniacbergara/pseuds/shaniacbergara
Summary: Shane Madej’s hometown is…well, a little bit different than most. He and Ryan take a trip there.





	Thursday: Turquoise Taupe

Ryan knew that Shane could be a little odd. It didn’t necessarily bug him, quite the contrary, it was endearing. Everyone who worked at Buzzfeed had their little quirks. Kelsey was careful never to put her keys on a table out of some superstition, whenever Andrew boarded a plane he made sure to touch the door three times, Ned snapped his fingers after every high five. And Shane? Well…sometimes the things Shane said were downright weird.

The first time Ryan noticed was during a visit to a haunt. His nerves were already on high alert, and he seemed particularly attuned to anything even slightly out of place, his neurons working over time. His breath hitched and he tensed as he noticed a subtle shift in the darkness out of the corner of his eye.

“Jesus Christ, dude! Did you see that?” Ryan huffed, spinning wildly around, eyes widening as far as they could in the darkness. He heard a deep rumbling chuckle, and his shoulders relaxed marginally, settling down below his ears again.

“It’s nothing, Ry, don’t get all excited.” Shane almost sounded bored. 

“I definitely saw something move over there.” Ryan pointed to the corner of the room, his hand shaking slightly. Shane glanced once in the direction, before confidently striding over, waving his arms around for dramatic effect. 

“Nothing over here as far as I’m concerned.” He grinned toothily before crossing the room again and clapping Ryan on the shoulder. “It’s just like what my dad always said, Ryan. If you see something, say nothing, and drink to forget.” Ryan paused, wondering if he was supposed to laugh or not. 

The next time Ryan noticed something odd was at the office. Andrew had been carrying Riceball around in the crook of his arm, crooning at him with that adoring look in his eye. He came around to Ryan and Shane’s desk area, and held the cat right in front of Ryan’s face.

“Pet the cat, Ryan.” Andrew demanded in his casual monotone. 

“I’m busy, Andrew.” Ryan replied, rolling his eyes and shifting slightly to get a better look at his screen. He was trying to finish up editing a video, and didn’t really have time to mess around.

“I know.” Andrew replied. “Pet the damn cat, Ryan.” Ryan sighed, finally looking away from his computer screen and into Riceball’s (admittedly adorable) eyes. He scratched the cat between the ears, smiling slightly as it purred and pressed his head further into his hand. “See? Isn’t that better?” Andrew sounded remarkably smug.

“Oh, hey!” Shane exclaimed, rolling his chair closer to get a better look at Riceball. “Look at that good cat!” Shane extended one long finger and gently patted the cat’s tail. Andrew grinned, pulling up and extra chair and settling down, the cat still purring in his arms. They pet the cat for a moment or two, and Ryan had to admit that it was actually pretty nice. 

“Is this cat not the best and cutest cat you’ve ever seen in your life?” Andrew said it like it was a sure thing, not like a question at all, but that didn’t stop Shane from responding.

“I don’t know. I had a cat growing up that used to float in the bathroom of my dad’s office. He was stuck there. Sucks we couldn’t take him home.” Shane said it casually, still petting the cat’s tail. Andrew bursted out laughing, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. Ryan’s hand paused in its ministrations, mid scratch on the cat’s chin. What on earth. 

The third time was on their first date. It had taken a while for Ryan to accept Shane’s advances. Shane didn’t seem to have any sort of shame. He would openly wax poetic about how beautiful Ryan’s new haircuts were, even after Ryan let him know that wasn’t really how bros talked to one another. Eventually though, they got their shit together, and after a fairly desperate kiss in the sound booth at the Buzzfeed offices, Shane took him out on their first real date. They went for coffee at the place around the corner, and Shane had casually joked that he liked his coffee the way he liked his nights-dark, endless, and impossible to sleep through. The rest of the date progressed normally, and ended perfectly.

After that, it became almost normal. Another Shane-thing that Ryan loved. He rolled his eyes at most of them. When Shane told him that the horrors of Eastern State Penitentiary were nothing compared to the faceless old woman who secretly lived in his home, he rolled his eyes and reached up on his tip toes to kiss him and shut him up. When he remarked that a particularly beautiful sunset reminded him of the Glow Cloud that had been president of his high school’s PTA, Ryan just grinned at his boyfriend’s remarkable creativity. When Ryan stopped off at the local library to return a book, he found it remarkably charming that Shane acted like he had gone to war and back, kissing his hands and all over his face like he thought he’d never return. He thought it was just Shane’s beautiful, strange head, creating whole worlds that he pulled Ryan into.

It changed when Shane asked him to meet his parents.

“Hey.” Shane nudged Ryan with one of his feet. They sat next to each other on their couch, and Ryan was immersed in a basketball game while Shane fiddled with his phone. He didn’t look up. “Hey!” Shane insisted, nudging him again. Ryan turned away from the television, looking at his big goofy boyfriend.

“What’s up?” Shane almost looked…nervous. Which was silly, honestly. Ryan had taken him to countless haunted houses, they had been to hell and back together, practically. Shane was never nervous.

“I…I want you to meet my parents.” Shane said it all in a rush. Ryan paused, eyebrows furrowed, before leaning over and muting the television. He turned to look at Shane properly.

“Yeah?” He asked, settling a hand on Shane’s bony knee.

“Yeah, y’know, I’ve met your folks a couple of times now, and my dads…they always hear me talk about you, it just feels like it’s time, you know?” He peered over at Ryan, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Shane, I’d love to meet your parents. Of course I would.” Ryan assured him, his heart hammering. Shane was always so careful when he talked about his family. Ryan had always assumed that growing up with two dads made Shane cautious about bringing them up with unfamiliar company. Ryan had never even spoken to them on the phone before, although he’d seen a picture of the couple on Shane’s instagram. 

“Well ain’t that the greatest.” Shane’s smile returned in full force, his eyes crinkling at the corners in the way that made Ryan melt. “I’ve been texting them, and if you want, we can go to my hometown this weekend, since we don’t have a shoot.” Ryan couldn’t help himself, he leaned in, closing the gap between them with a tender kiss. Shane softened, before chuckling. “Is that a yes?”

“Obviously, you big idiot.”

That Friday Shane and Ryan took the day off, packed up the car, and set out bright and early, chasing the rising sun in the east. Ryan drove while Shane navigated. Ryan was a terrible passenger, so instead of endlessly bickering, Shane yielded the driver’s seat. They gossiped and teased each other throughout the drive, jamming out to different soundtracks they had, each trying to steal the aux cord while the other was distracted. Soon, when they were deep enough within the desert for everything to start looking pretty much the same, Shane gasped.

“We’re here! We’re here!!” Shane sounded like a little kid on Christmas morning. Ryan looked at him, slowing down as they reached a seemingly useless stop sign. There didn’t seem to be anyone around, in fact, Ryan couldn’t remember passing a car for quite some time. Shane pointed forward. A great big purple sign seemed to materialize in the distance. “Welcome to Nightvale!” It proclaimed in letters that were beginning to chip from wear. Underneath the town’s name, in smaller lettering, Ryan read “Zorp is dead. Long live Zorp.” He looked at Shane, on the verge of nervous giggles. 

“Keep going forward?” Ryan asked, and Shane nodded enthusiastically. Ryan complied, and after a little more driving they came upon a little farm. Ryan could now see a little town beginning to form around them. A man stood amidst farming equipment, gazing out towards the desert. He raised a hand to them as they approached, and Shane stuck his head out of the window. 

“Mr. Leeroy!” He called, and the farmer broke into a grin. 

“Well if it isn’t Shane Madej! Returning at last! Should I call in to your Pa and let him know you’re in town?” The man peered into the car, eyeing Ryan suspiciously. 

“Nah, they both know I’m coming. Mr. Leeroy, meet my boyfriend, Ryan. Ry, this is Larry Leeroy, he lives out on the edge of town.” Ryan extended his hand, but the man just shrugged his shoulders. The sides of his mouth twitched into the barest trace of a grin. 

“Good to see you, boy. You better get on, now. Don’t forget to stop by Josie’s. She’ll want to have her guests give this one a good look.”

“Yes, sir!” Shane agreed, looking over at Ryan and winking. The farmer patted Shane on the shoulder before returning to his field. 

A few moments later they found themselves in the town itself. Ryan looked around, amazed at the tiny little town. He knew Shane’s hometown was small, but it really seemed like this town was tiny enough for everyone to know everyone. 

“Wait!” Shane exclaimed, throwing out his hands. Ryan slowed to a halt. “Let’s stop here before we go to my place, Mr. Leeroy was right, Josie will want to meet you.” Ryan parked the car, and barely had time to get his seatbelt unbuckled before Shane was at his door, opening it and pulling Ryan out of the car. Ryan caught hold of his arm, and Shane stopped, turning around. “What is it?” Ryan stood on tip toe and caught Shane’s lips in a chaste kiss.

“Nothing, I just love seeing you here, like you’re in your element.” Shane grinned, and scratched at his chin sheepishly. He reached out, and Ryan took his hand. They walked through an abandoned parking lot, their sneakers crunching the gravel beneath their feet, and came upon an old house with a massive wrap-around porch. Despite it being mid-day, the porch light was on, buzzing slightly. Shane took the steps up to the porch two at a time, dragging Ryan along behind him. He knocked three times on the door.

Nothing could have prepared Ryan for what would open the door. 

The door swung open to reveal a tall figure, taller even than Shane. It could have been a person, at least, it was bi-pedal, but there seemed to just be a dark, black void oozing out of a rough outline of a human. It had a singular eye, which Ryan could only distinguish by shape, since it glowed white, emitting a strange kind of heat. The porch light buzzed even louder. Ryan looked at Shane, his eyes wide, but Shane just squeezed his hand before grinning back at him. 

“What’s all this? Who’s there?” A gentle voice called from behind the hulking being. The being let loose a long screech, and Ryan had to let go of Shane’s hand to cover his ears. Shane, for his part, seemed utterly unfazed by this sudden turn of events. The high pitched shriek subsided, and the gentle voice called out again. “Shane? Shane Madej? Well go on get out of my way let me see the boy!” The being stepped out onto the porch, far too close to Ryan for comfort. Out stepped the smallest and oldest woman Ryan had ever seen. She held out her hand, and Shane stooped down to put his face in her palm. She patted his cheek before kissing him on the forehead. “It’s been far too long, little one.” 

“I know.” Shane said, rubbing the back of his neck. He reached out for Ryan again. “Josie, this is my boyfriend. He thinks demons are real and has never seen an angel before. Babe, this is Josie, and this is an angel.” Ryan stood, utterly bewildered. Josie held out her hand towards him. Shane jerked his head toward her, and Ryan leaned forward, mimicking what Shane had done, placing the side of his face in her palm. She patted him twice on the cheek, smiling sweetly up at him before glancing toward the…angel? It shrieked again, this time the sound undulated and shifted. Josie continued to smile.

“He says you have a good soul. I agree!” Josie kissed him on his forehead, and almost despite himself, Ryan grinned. He straightened up, and Shane kissed his temple. 

“I knew that already.” He said, and Ryan could feel his smile pressed into his hair. 

“You’d better not keep your parents waiting any longer, you big old green bean. You’ll come around for tea and we’ll talk more.” Josie said, wagging her finger at the pair of them. “Ryan, you’re welcome anytime.” 

They turned and left the house. It didn’t occur to Ryan until they were already halfway across the abandoned parking lot that Shane had never actually told Josie his name.

When they settled back in the car, Ryan turned towards his boyfriend.

“Uh.” Was all he could manage. Shane turned to him, looking sheepish. 

“Yeah, my hometown may be a little different than LA.” He admitted.

“No kidding, big guy.” Ryan said, before bursting into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Shane paused, watching him for a moment, before he began to laugh with him. Ryan heaved a deep, shuddering sigh. “So…the cat that floats? The forest that eats people? The dragon who ran for mayor? These weren’t just things you made up?” Shane reached out and grabbed Ryan’s hand.

“Weird shit happens in this town all the time.” Shane confirmed, giving Ryan’s hand a comforting squeeze. “Why do you think I’m so comfortable when we go to haunts? I know when something weird is going to go down.” He chuckled. “You okay?”

“Surprisingly…yeah.” Ryan’s laugh may have been a little high pitched. “This is crazy, you know that right?”

“Oh sure.” Shane nodded, wisely. “Come on, I’m sure Mr. Leeroy’s already called the house, my dads will be waiting.” Ryan nodded, and let Shane direct him on the five minute drive. The house looked almost normal, though Ryan dimly noticed that the sky had shifted in color from blue to a startlingly bright mixture of ochre and shining green. He made a mental note to ask Shane about it another time. They exited the car, and he grasped Shane’s hand, more for stability than anything else. Shane led them up the walkway and paused before the front door. He turned to Ryan, and kissed him deeply. “Thank you,” he said sincerely, “for coming.” Ryan nodded, his face still cradled in Shane’s big hands. Shane released him, and pressed the doorbell once. Ryan could hear the shrill ring throughout the house.

A man opened the door, wearing a flannel shirt and jeans. After everything Ryan had seen today, he was surprised by how…normal the man looked, his tan skin was lightly lined with the barest touches of wrinkles, and there was a hint of grey in his wavy dark hair. He was far shorter than Shane, who towered over him. Ryan recognized him from Shane’s instagram. The man grinned widely upon seeing them, and pulled Shane into his arms. They embraced for a moment before breaking apart, and the man immediately pulled Ryan into his arms as well.

“Hey, dad.” Shane said, grinning from ear to ear, watching happily as he hugged Ryan. The man stepped back, smiling, and held out his hand for Ryan to shake, which Ryan took.

“I’m happy to meet you, Ryan. Shane’s told us so much about you.” He sounded incredibly earnest. 

“I’m glad to meet you too, Mr. Madej.” Ryan replied, relieved at the welcome. The man waved him off, shaking his head.

“Call me Carlos, please.” Ryan nodded as Carlos beckoned them inside. The house was, frankly, adorable, and Ryan made a mental note to remember to search the house for any baby pictures of Shane. “Come on in, your Pa’s in the kitchen.” He led them through the house and into a cozy little kitchen, where another man stood with his back to them, stirring a pot on the stove. He turned around when he heard them enter, and a huge grin spread across his face. 

“Shane!” He said, and Ryan shivered. He could hear where Shane’s deep rumbling voice came from, he sounded identical to this man. He was taller than his husband, with honey blonde hair that fell messily across his forehead. He grasped Shane’s shoulders before kissing his forehead. “I’m so glad you’re here.” 

“Me too.” Shane grinned, Ryan could feel him relax into the environment, and it helped Ryan feel more relaxed in the process. “Pa, this is Ryan.” Shane remarked, but the other man had already pulled Ryan in by his shoulders, kissing both of his cheeks. 

“What fantastic hair you have, Ryan.” He said, looking piercingly into Ryan’s eyes. 

“Thank you, sir.” Ryan replied, and Shane giggled beside him.

“Cecil!” He corrected, patting Ryan on the shoulder. “The only person we call Sir around here is the tentacle monster who just moved in down the lane. And we only call him that because it seems to be the only sound he can actually make.” Ryan eyed Shane, but he just shrugged before taking a seat at the kitchen table. 

Considering how strange the town was, they managed to have a lovely lunch together. Ryan could see so much of Shane in both of his parents, and he delighted in hearing stories about Shane’s childhood in Night Vale. Despite being shocked and bewildered by stories about inhuman managers at the radio station and planes appearing in the middle of school gymnasiums ( “-there’s a reason I quit basketball!” Shane had interjected in the middle of that story), everything began to seem almost normal, almost peaceful. Ryan looked at his strange, wonderful, beautiful boyfriend, so at home and so at peace in this strange little city, in this strange little house. And honestly, if listening to shrieking angels and coming to terms with all sorts of scary supernatural phenomenon meant that he could look at Shane forever…well, he could learn to be a little braver, couldn’t he?


End file.
